A True Dream Cabin
05/21/2026 03:44PM ● By Suzi Mitchell
Photo: Views toward Sleeping Giant and the summit of Hahns Peak are framed within the expanded picture window in the main living space. Photo by David Patterson.
For many years Rich Snyder and Harriet Reisman-Snyder would visit the Yampa Valley with the notion of someday buying a property here. When Rich stumbled upon a 1979 D-log cabin
situated among aspens on the outskirts of town, he had a feeling that “someday” had arrived.
Harriet, who runs HRS Build, a boutique construction firm in Dallas, is drawn to spaces defined by volume and structural presence. The compartmentalized and dim interior was a far cry from open and bright.
Blue shag carpet covered the floors, and white paint masked the original interior logs and steel supports.
Harriet quickly saw beyond the low eight-foot ceilings and aged aesthetic. “None of it felt like a problem,” she says. “It felt like an invitation.”
The pair had architectural and structural plans drawn up, and Harriet enlisted Dallas-based designer Denise McGaha to assist with the interiors. “The goal was not more square footage but greater clarity,” Rich says. “We wanted to allow the architecture, materials and surrounding landscape to speak more clearly.”
Serg Brstina of Mountain Contracting came on board to lead construction. Replacing every window, and in some cases enlarging them, created a strong connection to the outdoors.
Sections of log were removed and reinforced with steel, carefully preserving the home’s character. Interior logs were media blasted with ground corn to restore their natural appearance. Reclaimed wood sourced through Dallas-based Trinity Valley Reclaimed Wood wraps the walls, ceilings and floors.
The entryway opens into the living space, warmed by reclaimed Texas pine flooring and walnut-stained cabinetry in the kitchen. A slab of Ijen blue quartzite forms a striking backdrop to the built-in bar. The original kitchen was transformed into a pantry, laundry and mudroom, enabling an uncluttered flow for the open plan living area.
A hallway leads to a powder room, where a custom countertop milled from a fallen white oak tree adds a talking point. In the primary suite, the ceiling was raised to expose wood beams and trusses and embrace the view corridor. A former utility space became a spa-like bathroom centered around a Tadelakt plaster steam shower. Windows on the opposing wall hang above the double sinks and frame the mountain vista in lieu of mirrors.
Downstairs, the lower level was transformed from a dark basement into an inviting space for guests and a home office. The ceiling plane was lifted with exposed steel beams set against reclaimed timber. “Here, wood isn’t applied decoration – it is the architecture itself,” Rich says.
Custom cabinetry finished in floor-to-ceiling rattan in the home office allows the room to transition easily for guests. Along the corridor, a bunk room takes on a playful note with Kelly Wearstler wallpaper and handmade Zellige Riad tile.
With the interior completed, Rich turned his attention to the landscaping. Over the years they had accumulated boulders – some purchased, others traded for pizza and beer. Dell Look of Big Creek Excavation helped place the stones to form retaining walls, pathways and terraces. “Stone by stone, the land started to feel like it belonged to the house again,” Rich says.
The couple – who have five children in their blended family – hired landscape architect Stephanie Appel to complete the design, just in time for a family wedding on the property this summer.
It will mark another milestone for the cabin, lovingly revitalized by new owners in what they describe as “a thoughtful dialogue between craft and restraint, steel and timber, past and present.”
For many years Rich Snyder and Harriet Reisman-Snyder would visit the Yampa Valley with the notion of someday buying a property here. When Rich stumbled upon a 1979 D-log cabin
situated among aspens on the outskirts of town, he had a feeling that “someday” had arrived.
Photo by Paula Jo Jaconetta.
Standing in the living room looking out toward Sleeping Giant and a snow-capped Hahns Peak in the distance, he says, “I just knew.” He was sure his wife would agree. With their two dogs in tow, the couple returned to look at it together. The scenic locale instantly captured her heart.Harriet, who runs HRS Build, a boutique construction firm in Dallas, is drawn to spaces defined by volume and structural presence. The compartmentalized and dim interior was a far cry from open and bright.
Blue shag carpet covered the floors, and white paint masked the original interior logs and steel supports.
Harriet quickly saw beyond the low eight-foot ceilings and aged aesthetic. “None of it felt like a problem,” she says. “It felt like an invitation.”
Photo by David Patterson.
The pair had architectural and structural plans drawn up, and Harriet enlisted Dallas-based designer Denise McGaha to assist with the interiors. “The goal was not more square footage but greater clarity,” Rich says. “We wanted to allow the architecture, materials and surrounding landscape to speak more clearly.”
Serg Brstina of Mountain Contracting came on board to lead construction. Replacing every window, and in some cases enlarging them, created a strong connection to the outdoors.
Sections of log were removed and reinforced with steel, carefully preserving the home’s character. Interior logs were media blasted with ground corn to restore their natural appearance. Reclaimed wood sourced through Dallas-based Trinity Valley Reclaimed Wood wraps the walls, ceilings and floors.
Photo by David Patterson.
The entryway opens into the living space, warmed by reclaimed Texas pine flooring and walnut-stained cabinetry in the kitchen. A slab of Ijen blue quartzite forms a striking backdrop to the built-in bar. The original kitchen was transformed into a pantry, laundry and mudroom, enabling an uncluttered flow for the open plan living area.
Photo by David Patterson.
A hallway leads to a powder room, where a custom countertop milled from a fallen white oak tree adds a talking point. In the primary suite, the ceiling was raised to expose wood beams and trusses and embrace the view corridor. A former utility space became a spa-like bathroom centered around a Tadelakt plaster steam shower. Windows on the opposing wall hang above the double sinks and frame the mountain vista in lieu of mirrors.
Downstairs, the lower level was transformed from a dark basement into an inviting space for guests and a home office. The ceiling plane was lifted with exposed steel beams set against reclaimed timber. “Here, wood isn’t applied decoration – it is the architecture itself,” Rich says.
Custom cabinetry finished in floor-to-ceiling rattan in the home office allows the room to transition easily for guests. Along the corridor, a bunk room takes on a playful note with Kelly Wearstler wallpaper and handmade Zellige Riad tile.
Photo by David Patterson.
With the interior completed, Rich turned his attention to the landscaping. Over the years they had accumulated boulders – some purchased, others traded for pizza and beer. Dell Look of Big Creek Excavation helped place the stones to form retaining walls, pathways and terraces. “Stone by stone, the land started to feel like it belonged to the house again,” Rich says.
The couple – who have five children in their blended family – hired landscape architect Stephanie Appel to complete the design, just in time for a family wedding on the property this summer.
It will mark another milestone for the cabin, lovingly revitalized by new owners in what they describe as “a thoughtful dialogue between craft and restraint, steel and timber, past and present.”